Weather-resistant opening solutions

Meteorologically speaking, tornados are short in duration with intense winds. The goal during a tornado is not necessarily to protect the building, but to ensure the survival of the occupants within. If a building is destroyed by a tornado, the designated shelter within the structure should remain standing—if it is properly designed.

Hurricanes, on the other hand, are long in duration with strong, sustained winds and rapid fluctuations in air pressure. A building designed to meet hurricane standards would be expected to survive the storm in good condition. Doors and door hardware on the building envelope are expected to be operational after absorbing the conditions.

Taking these distinct characteristics—and numerous windstorm-related certifications—into consideration, the consultative experts at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions can help you equip your building with the necessary products to stay safe and secure when harsh weather strikes.

Dangerous weather can strike at any time. Keep your building secure and those within it safe from tornadoes and severe weather with ASSA ABLOY’s certified Tornado Resistant Solutions. The StormPro doors and multi-point lock systems deliver worry free operation, while providing safety and security during the most severe storm. The tornado door solution is a must for storm shelters, safe rooms, new construction k-12 schools or any other impact resistant door applications where extra security is warranted. For your impact resistant opening needs, trust the certified tornado door assemblies and multi-point locking systems from ASSA ABLOY to be up to code and ready to weather any storm.

Beginning in 2002 the International Code Council (ICC) and the National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA) started working to create the first Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters, to be released as ICC 500 – 2008. ICC 500-2008 was first referenced in the 2009 International Building Code (IBC) as the standard for constructing a storm shelter in a public facility. The language remained in place for the 2012 edition of the IBC providing guidance for voluntary construction of shelters, but neither edition contained mandatory requirements for construction of shelters.